Monthly Archives: July 2018

Gerald Friedman has written an opinion piece about the U.S. Supreme Court’s consideration of Janus v. AFSCME Council 31, in which a child-support specialist at the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, who is not a union member, is disputing the obligation to pay an agency fee for the collective bargaining services provided by the union. The argument made by Janus is that everything done by the union is a form of political speech and, therefore, that the requirement that he contribute is a form of compelled speech and a violation of his rights under the First Amendment. Friedman states that women, African-Americans and Latinos are much more likely to work in the public sector, which means that the Janus case is particularly important to these workers. (Dollars & Sense, 6/25/18)